The Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey team is now on their exam and holiday break so its a good time to look back at the first half of the season before the boys hit the ice for the T Bay Tel Varsity Cup on Dec. 27th to the 30th.
Many fans and media pundits were unsure of what to expect with a team featuring a lot of new faces; eight freshmen and two transfer students; a team in a rebuilding year. However, the team played some solid hockey in the first half and posted a 10-4-2 OUA record (12-7-2 overall); good for second place (same points as Western but one more win) in the OUA Far West behind Waterloo and the fourth best mark in the 16-team OUA.
The pre-season saw the Wolves play some strong opponents and lose a few but the team began to find its game legs and the turning point was the game against Lake Superior State; which saw the Wolves post their first-ever win against a NCAA Div. 1 opponent. Since the beginning of the regular season; the Wolves have played good solid hockey and were only swept once; on the road by UQTR.
The team has either been in the CIS Top 10 or hovering just outside of it for the first half of regular season play. The Wolves are tied for third in the CIS in goals for with 4.6 per game and tied for 8th in goals allowed at 3.1 per game.
In the regular season; a trademark of this years squad has been hustle. The team is quick and plays hard almost every game. Granted, their have been some defensive breakdowns; but this is normal for any team as its developing and finding its identity and the Wolves look ready for the second half of the OUA regular season.
The second half of the season will see the Wolves welcome two new recruits; winger Brock McPherson and defenseman Jordan Smith; these two are expected to make strong contributions to the team.
The second half will be tough as Lakehead plays a resurgent Windsor squad followed by top-notch opponents each weekend in Waterloo, Western, Laurier, York, and Western. The road to the playoffs will be challenging but these Wolves are showing that they are a team to be reckoned with.
Following is how Head Coach Pete Belliveau, Lakeheads assistant coaches, and the Thunderwolves players assessed the teams play in the first half and things they think they need to work on as they prepare for the T Bay Tel Varsity Cup and the second half of the OUA regular season.
Coach Belliveau said his team had a good half but would need to make some improvements; especially on the road. Our first half was very good at home; we need to be more focussed on the road in terms of playing harder for a full 60 minutes; we need to be more disciplined on the road and have a better power play percentage on the road and at home. We must also work on fewer turnovers at home and on the road.
Assistant Coach Darrin Nicholas he saw many positives in the teams first half play. In the first half, I think the team worked hard in practice to improve our overall skill level quite substantially which has transferred over into our play in games. In terms of team play, I am really pleased with our special team success on both sides, but especially penalty killing. As we head into the second half, we will look to improve our results in even number situations, working smarter on defending the neutral and defensive zones, while finding ways offensively to generate more traffic to the net and increase scoring chances. We also must continue to be aware of the new rule emphasis. Weve had 23 games under out belt with the new calls; we can certainly cut down on the number of infractions going forward.
Assistant Coach Dan Bissonnette said he was happy with the teams play in the first half and thinks maturity and leadership will be crucial for Lakehead success in the second half. I think our biggest success is how well we adapted to such a huge change in p